Abstract

Carotenoids, the yellow-red pigments found in plants and
animals are C40 H56 compounds with 8 polyene isoprenoid
iresidues, aliphatic or alicyclic in structure and with many conjugated
double bonds. ß-carotene is the starting point for the
range of carotenoids in the animals. These are primordial
plant pigments evolved along with the chlorophyll system acting
as an accessory light-harvesting system not known to be synthesis,-
ed by animal tissues